Surrender Sweet Prince Revamp
by FairDrea
Summary: Situations and age bring change. Sometimes, though unwanted, change is necessary to grow and become the person you're meant to be, even if that person isn't who you envisioned yourself as at all. Serena learns, through a series of heartbreaking events, that her set-in-stone life isn't exactly that. Serena/Vegeta. Rated for adult situations/language. 20 YEAR OLD FIC REVAMP!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This needed a revamp so badly. Every time I glance back over it, it makes me cringe. The typos, the quick pace. All if it kind of drives me insane so I'm going to give it a much needed, and deserved overhaul.

Just a forewarning...I never watched anything beyond the English version of Sailor Moon so I don't follow the Japanese version or the language and refuse to pretend to do so. I don't know enough of the language and customs and feel that using them in a piece of fanfiction would be untrue to my aesthetic as a writer and disrespectful to the Japanese culture. So if me using the English names bothers you and taking liberties with the characters that don't follow the anime to a "T" bothers you...very simply put, don't read. If you won't enjoy writing for that reason, then by all means, move on to something that's more in line with what you like to see.  
If you're okay with English names, a little OOC'ness here and there and eventual smut...then read on darlings. ;)

Prologue:

The petite blonde sat at her desk working by the dim light of her bedside lamp. It was late - approaching midnight. But sleep wasn't something she felt she would be getting any time soon. Not after the events of the day.

So instead,she wrote, sometimes stopping to brush away tears that streamed over her flushed cheeks. She did not want her letter stained with tears. Why give them the satisfaction of knowing that they had hurt her?

She wrote, words pouring from her. Words that came from her heart and yet, meant nothing to her. Maybe they would have meant something to who she used to be, but she had steadily started to vehemently rejected everything she once was after graduating from high school, adjusting to the woman she wanted so desperately to find.

Not to _be._

To _find._

She had known for quite some time now that she was destined to be more than a superhero who relied heavily on the support of her friends and guardians to protect those around her. She was meant to lead, to be looked up to. She was meant to be Queen.

How she would achieve that without a King by her side, however, was questionable. And after today, without a King she certainly was and that future was now cloudy, unknown and terrifying. It was a future she knew she needed to face, however.

Her hand stilled in her writing and the words blurred as fresh tears of anger filled her eyes. The betrayal from earlier that morning played over in her head, taking advantage of her weakened state.

She'd been early for her meeting with her Inner Scouts. Ten minutes early, which was unheard of for her. She was always fashionably late. And she'd been so happy - optimistic in the goal she had set out to achieve - the goal to let her Inner Scouts and her best friends know that she was taking a several month-long hiatus to find who she knew she needed to be.  
The Outters - Hotaru, Amara, Michelle and Trista had known and understood for a while. They had albeit encouraged her to go out on her own, especially Amara. Their faith in her had strengthened her resolve over time and she had finally been ready to address the Inner Scouts.

She had been secretly training with all of the Outters for her venture. They had taught her several skills, refining her grace, enhancing her dignity - under their tutelage, Serena had blossomed and the clumsy adolescent had slowly started to disappear.

What she hadn't counted on was running into Chad as he stormed away from Raye's temple, his face red with anger and tears dampening his stubble. And what followed from that cataclysmic moment was nothing short of a nightmare.

Raye with Damien. Raye with her Prince and destined King of the Lunarians. Chad had clearly caught them in the middle of their sexual intimacy and they were quickly pulling their clothes back on when Serena had rounded the corner, stumbling to a stop with a painful gasp.

"You're early."

That was all Darien had said. No emotion, no apology - just a bland statement that tore her heart to ribbons. Clearly, catching him intimately involved with Raye was nothing more than a passing inconvenience for him.

Raye had at least had the dignity to look truly horrified. She'd stared at Serena - her mouth working but no words making their way past her lips. Any sound that had managed to escape her was quickly cut off by Serena shaking her head.

Whatever doubts or reservations Serena had over leaving her Inner Scouts to find herself were quickly swept away.

All that was left to do was pen her final words...and disappear.

Serena stared down at the six-pages with her writing scrawled over the lined paper. Two pages were for her parents, three for the scouts and one for Luna and Artimus. She placed the two pages for her family on her bed, smoothing the covers over. Then she tucked the remaining pages into the side pocket of a large duffle bag.

Looking in the full-length mirror attached to her closet door, Serena picked up the scissors she had left on the desk earlier. She was leaving and where ever she went she wanted to make damn sure that no one would recognize her. And simply put, she was over the buns. She'd been wearing her hair the same way for years and though she knew it was a defining look for Lunairan royalty...she needed the change so _so_ desperately.

She pulled the buns free and watched her glorious blonde hair fall in waves around her. "Don't wuss out now, Sere" she muttered to herself as she nervously held the scissors open beside the hunk of hair clenched in her fist. She positioned it, closed her eyes and snipped. She expected instant regret when she opened her eyes but the sight of so much of her hair dangling from her hand and no longer attached to her caused a potent rush of euphoria. She grinned and started in on the rest.

It took a while, but after a grueling forty minutes, Serena was finally satisfied with the outcome. Her blonde tresses hung short, curling in gently an inch below her shoulders. She pushed her bangs to the side so that they no longer hung over her forehead, arranged her part to the side and nodded approvingly at her reflection.

Her clothes still needed a vast improvement.

She viciously yanked off the frilly pink skirt, bunny shirt and white tennis shoes she wore, replacing them with a pair of slim jeans, deep brown suede boots and a simple gray stone washed t-shirt with a plunging v-neck. Grabbing the hooded sweatshirt hanging from a hook on the back of her closet door, she tugged it on and pulled the zipper halfway up. The last thing she did was grab her duffle bag, swing it over her shoulder, then with one last sad look around her room Serena crawled out the window and left.

She met the Outers on the bridge overlooking the small pond in the park she and Darien used to come to. Her thought turned bitter as she walked across the wet grass to where her friends waited.

Darien had been to surprise. Not entirely. He always ran hot and cold, had a habit of gaslighting her in a way that would continually make her question herself and whether she meant as much to him as he had once meant to her.

But Raye-.

She had trusted her life to her Scouts. To know one would betray her in such a manner hurt so deeply.

When she reached the bridge, lights from the lamp overhead exposed her to three women who gasped in unison. Michelle stepped forward and pulled Serena into her arms. "Oh Princess, what happened?"

The concern in Michelle's voice brought forth new tears and Serena dropped her duffle bag to cling to the older woman. "I found Raye and Darien together. They were-," her voice died away. She didn't want to rehash the details for her friends. They understood.

Amara stepped forward, her eyes narrowed to thin slits. "That little shit. I'll find him and beat the god damn-."

"No, Amara. There's no need to go that far," Serena said. She stepped away from Michelle and pulled her duffle bag up over her shoulder again before moving to stand in front of Setsuna, defiance lighting her vibrant blue eyes. "I have leave."

"Serena, no. We need you here." Michelle pleaded, her hand unconsciously reaching for Amara's.

Serena shook her head. "You wanted me to take a few months to myself. That's what I'm going to do. And I am no longer needed here. There has been peace for quite some time now. I can sense that the Inner's faith in me is wavering and my future without Darien in it is...I don't know what it is. But I'm not going to figure that out if I stay here."

The Outers regarded their Princess sadly. "Is there anything we can do to change your mind?" Amara asked.

"No. I just...don't want to be here right now. And I'm not running away. I have this _feeling_ that I belong somewhere else." She turned to Trista. "You know what I'm talking about. I don't know how I know that...but I do."

Trista nodded. She was the only one who knew where her Princess belonged, the greatness that she was destined for. "Yes, Princess. I know."

"Then get me the hell out of here. I love you all so much. And you will know where to find me. But I need to be somewhere else now. Please understand that," she pleaded.

The Outers nodded then stepped forward to hug their Princess one last time.

"Setsuna?" Serena prompted.

The green haired beauty nodded, then held up her staff. "Find happiness where you go, Serena. My Princess." She whispered, then placed her Princess into the hands of fate.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I tried to upload this yesterday and it came out all screwed up so let's try again. Thank you to PinkRabbit for pointing it out. :) I'm going to switch to Japanese names and I'll go back and fix the prologue in a bit here. But after careful consideration and binge watching, I figured it was probably the best thing to do for more current followers of the Sailor Moon fandom.

 **Chapter Two**

Usagi's eyes fluttered open, squinting slightly against the intrusion of bright sunlight filtering through the tree leaves above her. She turned from her stomach onto her side, lifting an arm to shade her eyes against the light. What time was it? She'd left her home when it was only a little after midnight. And where was she?

She pushed herself up and brushed at the leaves and dirt that clung stubbornly to her jeans, feeling unsteady. Though she was surrounded by trees, she could hear faint sounds of city traffic so there must be a city nearby. It would be so much easier to feel like she had her equilateral if she didn't feel so horribly disorientated.

"Welcome to Satan City, Princess."

Usagi whirled around, nearly toppling over as another wave of vertigo seized her. Before her stood Setsuna, dressed in full uniform, her gloved hand wrapped loosely around her staff. "Hello, Usagi," she greeted softly. She offered a hand and Usagi took it gratefully, closing her eyes and taking slow breaths.

"What's going on? Where did you say I was?"

"Satan City. It is in an entirely different dimension so it may take some time for your body to acclimate to the shift in atmosphere. Things will be a little bit different here."

Usagi regarded her friend skeptically. "How many things will be a little different?"

Setsuna grinned. "All in good time. It shouldn't take much longer for you to feel slightly back to normal. A good meal would help and it's far past not only breakfast time, but dinner time as well. No wonder you're responding the way you are to this world. Have you ever gone more than a few hours without eating something?"

The bribe was welcome and helped take Usagi's mind off of the difficulty she was having adjusting to her surroundings. "I try very hard not to. What time is it?"

"A quarter past three. And unfortunately, I must leave you now. Haruka and Michiru are working on plans to explain your absence. Michiru feels the Inner Scouts deserve some kind of explanation and Haruka...well, you know Haruka. She doesn't feel they deserve much of anything."

"Wait! Before you go-." Usagi reached down into the side pocket of her bag and pulled out her letter. She held it out to Setsuna. "Here, give this to the Inner Scouts. It will take care of things and Haruka and Michiru won't have to explain anything. There's one for Luna and Artimus in there too." She handed them over, tears forming in her eyes. "Let Haruka and Michiru know that I love them and Chibiusa-." Usagi paused to draw a shuddering breath. "Just...tell her that I'm proud of her and one day I'll be back."

"Tell her yourself."

Usagi looked up in shock as her daughter stepped out of the a swirling time portal opening behind Setsuna. Wide eyes regarded her and Usagi felt her resolve crumble as she knelt and opened her arms to her daughter, allowing the pink haired child to fly into them and collapse against her.

"Mommy," Chibiusa cried.

"Hush Chibi, everything will be okay. I will come back for you. I promise I will," she whispered her vow in Chibiusa's ear, holding her close. "You make me so proud. Be strong. Be strong for me, okay?"

Chibiusa continued to sob, but nodded.

"That's my girl," Usagi whispered. "You'll watch over her?" she asked, looking up at Setsuna and receiving a solemn nod.

Chibiusa finally stopped crying and backed away, scrubbing at the tears and scowling. "I know what Mamoru did something really wrong. He hurt you and that's why you're leaving. I don't want him to be my daddy anymore."

"He's not your daddy," Usagi stated with conviction. She was surprised at how right the words felt to say. Something inside her screamed that it was the truth. How, she wasn't sure. But there was a certainty to the emotions that she couldn't ignore. Usagi glanced up into Setsuna's knowing eyes.

"All in good time," the Scout mouthed.

Setsuna nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter. "And he's not the reason I'm leaving. Some day, when you're older, I'll explain this much better than I'm doing right now."

"When are you coming back?" the child asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for soon so I can have you back, bun-head."

Usagi laughed. "I hope so too. You stay with Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru. They'll know how to find me. And don't speak to the others about this, okay?"

Chibiusa nodded. "I promise."

"Come, Small Lady. We must go now," Setsuna called.

Chibiusa clung to Serena once more. "I'll miss you, mommy."

Usagi nodded and hugged her child, her heart aching. "I'll miss you too, my little angel. Take care of Luna, okay?"

Chibiusa pulled back and smiled through her tears. "I will. Hey!" The girl stepped back and perched her little fists on her hips, tilting her head slightly. "I just realized something. I can't call you bun-head anymore!"

Usagi raised a self-conscious hand to her severed locks. "I suppose you can't. Does it look okay?"

"I like it. It's really pretty."

Usagi smiled. "Thank you."

She tried to keep her chin from trembling, as well as her hands, as she handed her daughter over to Setsuna. "Okay, kiddo. You take care. Listen to the Outers. And don't get into too much trouble."

Chibiusa and Setsuna both waved good-bye and the time portal closed around them. In their sudden absence, just how alone she was truly struck her and Usagi squared her shoulders, stubbornly refusing to cry more than a few tears. She was a born ruler. She had to be strong, like she had told Chibiusa to do.

But...how many rulers said good-bye to their daughters not knowing when they would ever see them again, and were cheerful about it?

Her shoulders slumped and her body shook with silent sobs. "Oh, Chibi-."

She wished things could be different but in her heart, she knew that this is what needed to be done. The Inner Sailors would survive without her. She would find her destiny and then she would bring Chibiusa home.

Reverently, Usagi collected herself. She checked her bag to make sure she hadn't forgotten her wallet, went through a mental checklist of what she had brought with her and what she might need once she found a suitable place to stay, and double checked what funds she'd pulled from her savings account, something she still felt terribly guilty for. Her father had set up the account for her to go to college and make something of herself. He'd provided her with the password and information to her account in good faith. And she'd cleaned it out to leave them.

"You could sit here all day giving yourself a hard time for the choices you made or you can move forward and actually get somewhere," she muttered to herself, shoving her wallet back into her bag and zipping it shut with some finality.

There was a city beyond those trees. Her destiny awaited her there, somewhere. And, hopefully, a good restaurant. With those thoughts in mind, Usagi slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and started toward the sounds of traffic.

The trees thinned and a huge cityscape opened up before her, buildings stretching towards the blue sky, cars moving slowly through the streets and pedestrians walking the sidewalks. It took her several minute to find a cute little restaurant on a corner tucked back from the city chaos - the kind with the red-checkered drapes that served any calorie infested meal you could think of. Usagi chose a small both in the corner with a window facing the busy street. She'd pulled the morning news paper from the rack beside the hostess stand and laid it out before her as she waited for the waitress.

"Coffee, hun?"

Usagi smiled up at a thin, aging woman holding a pot of steaming coffee, a welcome smile on her heart shaped face.

"That would be great, thank you."

"No problem. Did you need any cream or sugar?"

"Please."

"Gotcha. I'll grab that and be back with a menu for you."

Usagi thanked her again and turned her attention to the paper, flipping the pages to the wanted section to see what Satan City had to offer for apartments as well as possible career opportunities. To her dismay, there weren't many jobs to choose from. Many housekeeping positions were available but Serena wasn't much on cleaning. There were no nanny jobs with room and board, which would have been an ideal position. She was about to give up when a discreet ad in the far bottom corner caught her eye.

"Wanted; personal assistant. Must me energetic, friendly, good with people and open minded. Room and board optional. Apply in person to Bulma Breifs, Capsule Corporation."

Usagi looked over the ad again. It was definitely strange, but it was also something she couldn't pass up. She checked the address and, having no clue where Capsule Corporation was, asked the waitress for directions when she returned with the cream and sugar for her coffee. She was advised to take a cab, the waitress explaining that even the greenest of cab drivers knew where Capsule Corp was as Usagi looked over the menu for something to eat. In her current state of near-starvation, everything looked good but she settled on a breakfast skillet, thanked the waitress when she handed over the directions and made quick work of her food once it was in front of her, eager to be out the door and making an attempt at securing a place to stay and a job, if she were that lucky.

After leaving a generous tip, Usagi took one last sip of her coffee, folded up the wanted section to shove it in her bag in case this entire venture fell through, then left the restaurant to hail a cab. Fifteen minutes later, she was standing on a walkway leading up to a large dome shape building with Capsule Corp. painted across it in large blue letters.

Usagi stood at the end of the walkway for a long time, just staring at the building. How was she supposed to go about doing this anyway? She had never even thought about getting a job let alone actually having one before. She had been way too busy with school, Scout business, and Mamoru.

Mamoru .

Just the thought of him put a bitter taste in her mouth. She would get this job and if the Inners ever found her she would make sure they knew just how much their "klutz Princess" could do on her own. Her determination moved her forward until she was standing at the front of the door with her hand poised to knock.

The sound of shattering glass broke the silence of the calm afternoon and Usagi snatched her hand back, quickly stepping away from the door just as it flew open and an incredibly angry looking boy ran out, plowing her over and taking them both down.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't really see you there," the boy said, getting to his feet and holding out a hand for Usagi.

"That's okay. No harm done." Usagi brushed aside his apology and graced him with a kind smile as she readjusted the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder, noting his unusual lavender hair color and the way it hung over his blue eyes in a disheveled, lengthy mess. "Is ah...everything okay in there?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

The boy rubbed the back of his head and blushed. Usagi figured he had to be around Chibiusa's age but his eyes held a certain amount of cynicisms that made him seem much older than he probably was.

"My parents aren't really getting along," he mumbled. "Were you looking for one of them?"

"Only if one of them goes by the name Bulma and is looking for a personal assistant? I saw the ad in the paper."

The boy nodded. "Yeah. That's my mom."

"Well, I'm here to apply. My name is Usagi Tsukino."

"Trunks Briefs," he returned with a smile. "You wanna come in?"

"Sure."

Usagi started to follow Trunks inside and ended up nearly stumbling to a stop when she was over the threshold. Somewhere, very close, an aura of power was raising drastically. It was intensely dark - not evil exactly but not pure either. The pull of it was enticing, catching her entirely off guard. It tempted her, evoking curiosity instead of trepidation. Then it was gone, leaving Usagi feeling feverish and achingly empty.

"Are you okay?"

Usagi's gaze snapped down to Trunks. "What? Oh, yes. I'm fine," she reassured him. "Just a little nervous is all."

Trunks studied her, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. "Okay," he said at length. "Living room's this way."

While walking through the massive house, Usagi remained on her guard. She hadn't expected to be dealing with any threats while here and the one she had just felt...there was no way she would be able to take it on without the help of her scouts and she really doubted a small boy would be much help in a fight.

Trunks led her into a tastefully decorated room with a couch, loveseat and two wingback chairs positioned around a low coffee table. It was a room clearly intended for either entertaining or making people wait, devoid of a television and any personal pictures. A potted plant sat on a side table next to the couch, a small stack of magazines took up much of the surface of the coffee table and two landscape paintings flanked the bay windows that looked over the sloping hillside of the yard.

"I'll go get my mom," Trunks said, gesturing towards the couch. "Just hang out here. Shouldn't take long."

He disappeared around the corner and Usagi wandered into the living room, taking in her surroundings while remaining alert in the back of her mind. Wouldn't that be her luck - to have to fight off some evil while trying to get her first interview.

The energy signal fluctuated and she growled softly, irritated by how difficult it was to track or analyze. If Amy were here, she could have tracked it with her computer, told Usagi what she was dealing with. The only thing that she could really tell was that it was dark and unlike anything she was accustomed to dealing with, yet still oddly familiar in a way that she couldn't seem to brush off.

"You get too frustrated and it's going to be impossible to focus on it," she mumbled to herself.

With a sigh, she dropped her duffle bag at her feet, flopped down on the couch and picked up one of the magazines, idly flipping through the pages to give herself some kind of visual stimulant. Trying to figure out energy signatures wasn't her strongest forte. That was more Setsuna or Ami's forte.

Or Rei.

With a sigh, Usagi tossed the magazine aside and slumped back on the couch.

The hair on the back of her neck suddenly went on end and she had the distinct feeling she was being watched. She turned around, expecting Bulma or Trunks, but nothing was there. Nothing but that energy from earlier, spiking abruptly. Usagi gasped, leaning forward and clutching her stomach.

What is that? Why is it affecting me like this.

It was gone as quickly as it came, and Usagi was left trying to catch her breath, her hands trembling.

"Ms. Tsuknio?"

"Oh!" Usagi stumbled to her feet, plastering a bright smile on her face. "Yes, hi. I'm Usagi Tsuknio. Mrs. Briefs?"

The woman standing on the threshold of the living room grinned at her. She was considerably shorter than Usagi, but that didn't make her stature any less commanding. Blue hair framed a narrow face with eyes the same color regarding her shrewdly.

"You...must be new in town. That ad has been in the paper for months but there isn't a soul in the city that wants to work for me, no matter how influential my last name is."

Usagi nodded. "I am. Just arrived in the city this morning. I ahh...don't have much experience. Or any experience, really. I was in college prior to this and decided to take some time off to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Turns out, you can't figure out what to do with your life if you're not able to financially support yourself."

Bulma moved into the room and sat down on the couch, motioning for Usagi to do the same. "So...if you have no experience, why are you applying? Just curious. Not trying to discourage you from being here at all."

"Honestly?" Usagi started, taking a seat. "You offered room and board. I don't have anywhere to stay and it could take weeks to find an apartment and wait for a background check to go through. I'm a quick learner. I take instruction well, don't ask questions and work extremely hard." She said the last bit with a great deal of conviction, remembering her numerous sparring sessions with Haruka and how she'd transitioned from whining over Haruka's cutthroat approach to anticipating it with a hunger that startled her at times, eager to learn everything her friend and protector could teach her.

"The job itself isn't anything too strenuous. I just can't keep up with all of the little odds and ends that need to be kept up with. My dad's retired so him and my mom spend most of their time vacationing and running the company isn't in my blood. Being a scientist is. I never have a hard time talking myself out of doing the menial paperwork necessary and that's kind of how I find myself where I am today - behind on everything but my work. So I need someone to answer phones, pay bills, keep my schedule organized for me...and someone who doesn't scare easy. My ex-husband is...a bit eccentric. The job wouldn't require any interaction with him. But even the smallest encounter would require a backbone. Since we're being honest and all."

Usagi's brow furrowed. "Your...ex-husband? He lives with you?"

"It's a long story," Bulma muttered, waving her hand a bit to dismiss the subject. "At any rate...if you have a will to learn, can turn a blind eye and have a stiff backbone...you're hired."

"I...what? Are you...serious? But I didn't even give you a resume or list of personal references."

"Yeah, and that ad has been in the paper for months with no responses. You might be my last chance at some sanity in regards to my work-life. Call me selfish, but I'm drowning in picky crap I can't stand looking at and I'm desperate. That's a pretty agreeable combination for the first and only person to respond to that ad. Unless, of course, you've changed your mind…"

"No!" Usagi sat up straighter. "Not at all. I just...I didn't um...think it would work out quite like this. Thank you...Mrs. Breifs. Thank you so much." She extended a hand to Bulma.

"Don't mention it, hun. You need a job, I need help. Match made in heaven." Bulma took her hand then stood, pulling Usagi up with her. "Why don't you follow me and I'll show you where you'll be staying. We have spare rooms upstairs but there's an actual apartment setting closer to the back of the house. My parents remodeled the room for me when I went to college so that I wouldn't have to stay on campus and would have access to my lab whenever I wanted it. It's back far enough that you'll have some privacy. There's not much to it, right now. I'll snag some sheets from the linen closet later but you're more than welcome to make it your own while you're here."

Usagi smiled, trying to take in anything she could as they walked down the hallway. The house was overwhelming in how large it was. Bulma showed her the front office where she would be working, gesturing helplessly towards a desk covered in a mess of files and loose paper, then moved toward the interior of the house - the spacious living room with wide windows allowing sunlight to spill in over the sleek, modern decor. The kitchen was impressive as well, walking the fine line between home and commercial with large industrial sinks and stainless steel appliances. The artwork that hung on the walls was clearly expensive, though the family pictures took away the artsy edge, offering a feel of comfort to the spacious rooms.

"I'm going to be late tomorrow," Usagi warned as she followed Bulma down a hallway. "There's no way I'm not going to get lost trying to find my way around this place."

Bulma laughed. "That's alright. The office has been run pretty sporadically so take your time in the morning. I imagine this isn't going to be an easy adjustment. Did you live in dorms when you went to college?"

"No. I stayed with my parents. They wanted my freshman and sophomore year to be spent at home and told me I could move out my junior year as long as I had some money saved up before I did."

"Sounds like a great way to guarantee you're ready for life beyond the comforts of home."

Usagi ducked her head to hide a sardonic smile, thinking of every monster she'd fought outside the 'comforts of home', all the bruises and cuts she'd hid from her parents, every choice she'd had to make that forced her to grow up in the abnormal way she had. "Mm, they're responsible like that."

"They were okay with you moving away and taking a break from college, then?"

"As long as I promised them it was just a break," Usagi lied.

They moved past a set of double doors with the words "Gravity Room" printed across them in block letters.

"Um, what's that?"

Bulma glanced at the door and rolled her eyes. "It's my ex-husbands gym. Best not to go in there, especially when he's in there. Which is all the time. He's a pretty private guy and doesn't care for people. Or animals. Or anything past training."

"Well….he sounds...fun."

"Yeah," Bulma laughed. "That's the word. Okay, so you get the very last door at the end of the hall. I'm scoring so many points as an employer right now making it sound like you're walking into a horror movie."

Usagi laughed. Oh, she enjoyed this woman. Her dry humor and sarcastic undertones reminded her so much of Haruka. Maybe starting over in this other universe wouldn't be so difficult after all.

Bulma opened the door and Usagi forced herself not to overreact. It was difficult. The room was beyond anything that she was truly used to. The bed was an elegant queen sleigh bed with nightstands and two dressers of the same deep wood finish. A large potted plant sat to the left of a set of French doors that led out to a private deck. A small flat screen tv was secured to the wall above an electric fireplace inlaid with white rock and a small kitchen sat tucked away on the other side of a wide archway.

Usagi set her bag down and followed Bulma to the kitchen where the woman set to fussing immediately, pulling two chairs off a small high top table as she spoke.

"The bathrooms right there," she nodded to a closed door off the kitchen. "I don't know how long it's been since the towels have been changed out but I'll send someone in to take care of that. There's really not much to the kitchen. I mostly used it for late night studying and survived off of coffee. Oh, here-."

She opened a cupboard below the sink and made a sound of triumph. "They didn't get rid of it! I always had a pot on backup because of how often I would burn them out. This one never got used," she pulled a boxed coffee maker out and set it on the counter. "Feel free to use it if you're a coffee drinker. Either than that, the rest is pretty self-explanatory. Take the day to get set up here. I'll send a maid in with everything you should need -towels, linens...I'll throw in a can of coffee grounds and filters so you have it in the morning. Have you had lunch?"

"Yes, I have."

A huge one, she thought, remembering the stack of pancakes drowning in syrup.

"You're more than welcome to join us for supper. I'll probably just order something in. Kind of in the middle of a project and don't feel like cooking. I'll either swing by or have Trunks come find you when it's here and we can sit and talk more. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. This is all really great, Bulma. Thank you so much for giving me a chance and offering me a place to stay. Really, I wish I had a better way to thank you but-." Usagi smiled and shrugged helplessly.

"Don't mention it, hun. I have a good feeling about this. I think it's going to work out just fine for both of us." She reached over, giving Usagi's hand a quick squeeze. "Get settled in. We'll see you later, okay?"

She breezed out and Usagi was left alone. She stood in the silence for a moment, trying to absorb everything that had happened - not question it, just...let her mind catch up with the whirlwind of activity that had left her standing in the middle of a kitchen to an apartment that was all hers.

With a small laugh, she walked back into the bedroom and made quick work out of unpacking what few belongings she had. At one point, there was a knock at the door and Usagi opened it to allow two maids into the room. One stripped the bed of the old linens, replacing the nondescript black and beige with rich hues of green and burgundy. The other moved into the bathroom, coming out several minutes later with a bag full of what Usagi assumed were the towels that had been left. She left and returned minutes later with freshly folded towels, tucking them away in the linen closet.

They said very little, worked very quickly and, within a half an hour, she was alone again.

With nothing left to unpack and time to kill before supper, Usagi decided to step outside. She walked across the small deck to the railing, folding her arms and leaning against it. The sun was sliding into the horizon. As she was eating pizza with Bulma, her family would be getting up to start the day. The thought of them waking up to her not being there hurt considerably. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, bit down on it and closed her eyes against the sting of tears. Would they even remember her? Or had Setsuna worked some kind of magic to wipe her from their memory?

That would have been the easiest way to handle her disappearance, certainly. She was starting over. It only made sense that her family would move on without her while she adjusted to a new life in a different world.

But her family no longer knowing who she was -.

"Damn it," she whispered, hastily wiping at the few tears that drifted down her face.

What tentative grasp she had on controlling her emotions started to slip, and just before it did, she felt that strange energy signal from before, filling her with a breathless warmth. Opening her eyes, Usagi tried to feel the energy out. She scanned the span of yard, the trees bordering the far end. Where the hell was it coming from?

Growling softly and feeling suddenly vulnerable, she spun away from the view, intending to go inside, lock her doors and take a nap. What she didn't expect was to find exactly what she'd been searching for right over her head.

Standing on a second story balcony almost directly above hers, arms crossed over his muscular chest, was a man. She could tell by the way he held himself and the impressive muscular stature his jeans and black t-shirt did little to hide that he was the source of the energy signature. Though that fact quickly paled in comparison to the immediate attraction she felt towards him. She tried to tear her gaze away from him, or at least she told herself that she was giving it an honest effort because staring was rude, and she had no desire to be rude but good lord, how could a man scowling that deeply still manage to look that gorgeous?

Eyes as black as the spikey hair that framed his lean face were suddenly on her and she gasped, taking a step back. He watched her carefully, clearly not caring if he came off as rude. His eyes narrowed, the energy signature spiked and she swallowed hard but somehow, by sheer determination of will, did not outwardly react to him.

Or at least she hoped she hadn't.

The power signature dropped and one corner of his mouth tilted up in a shadow of a smirk before he turned and went back inside.

Usagi reached behind her, seaking the stability of the railing. Her legs felt weak and her heart was hammering at an unhealthy rate. Gripping the railing, she sank back against it and drew in a ragged breath.

"What did I get myself into…."


End file.
